Wonderland's Pain
by Dreamer meet Schemer
Summary: Alice is a reluctant Queen married to a mean Cheshire. Wonderland turned on it's head, a view from a fun house mirror or reality for them? You decide.Rates and reviews always welcome especially for me, the beginner.
1. The Truthes Behind the Masks

Alice stood with her back to the man she knew she loved as she said fare well. She couldn't watch Dormouse go. Alice knew he had to go. It was inevitable. She was a married woman, no, a Queen. Such a scandal of a forbidden love could not be spread. It was too dangerous. The nation was already weak from the turmoil that passed after the passing of the old Queen, and could not stand up to another upstart. Cheshire had banished Dormouse after hearing of the affair, and had yelled at Alice for almost destroying the nation again. She had cried and pleaded, but Cheshire heard no word of it. He was a spiteful little man who enjoyed watching suffering and gaining money. He was also the rightful heir to the throne and was not denied anything, even the much younger Alice. Many nights, after the little man had fallen asleep, Alice would cry. He didn't care at all about her.

Alice had once loved the man she married. He was kind, or so it seemed. Cheshire could always be charismatic when he felt the need. Even without the charisma, he would have married Alice. She would not go home, and if she had said no to his proposal he could and would have her killed. Either way, it ended poorly. Though Alice knew Cheshire was about fifteen years older than her, it didn't seem like such a bad deal. Marry a kindly king, help rule a kingdom. Unfortunately, things didn't work out that way, and Alice was abused. Never physically, mind you, but often battered emotionally and mentally. She was a woman, and a smart one at that. Women were better off dumb to the King. The last Queen was smart, and look what happened there.

Not everyone agreed with the King, though. Dormouse loved the Queen, and thought that she would be an excellent monarch. She mastered kindness, mercy, and grace. True, she was easily bored, but she was young yet. A patience and more ways to fend off boredom came with age. That everyone knew. Besides all that, the Dormouse was just a little older than her, three years. He was 19 when she had emerged into his life. Beautiful and lost, she had shown up at the Tea Party at Hatter's. Hatter had thrown a tea party everyday at noon. The guests were always different, and it was always an honor to be invited. They ended when Cheshire's reign began. Cheshire was afraid of violent uprisings being planned against him. While the old Queen was in reign, he gladly attended the tea parties where such things were covertly planned. Knowing of those plannings going forth during his reign, though, was not going to happen. What if the party-goers had another plan succeed, but instead against the old Queen, against him? It was great getting the old Queen out, but he was not going to use the people he played pull the fleece over his eyes.


	2. A Meeting and a Party

Alice sat beneath the Jubjub tree. It was a queer world, nothing quite like it seemed. While Alice pondered this, a strange little man about 35 appeared.

"Need any direction, my dear? You look a tad lost," he said,"And this is not a place to be lost in."

"Oh, well, yes. I would like a bit of direction. Do you know how to get anywhere?" Alice asked politely.

"Any 'where' specific? Hatter is throwing a tea party to the left, Bunny (ohh...he hates when I call him that) will be running around for the Queen to your right. And straight here is the Jubjub tree and me."

Alice thought for a moment, then decided "I believe I would like a bit of tea. What are you doing here, Mister..."

Stunned by the question, the man fumbled his words, "Oh, well, um...M'name's Cheshire, call it thrice if you need anything. I will always come in running for you my dear. And I am searching for love in this mad, mad world."

"You won't get there from here."

"Remember, thrice." The man disappeared.

-----

At the party sat many odd-looking people...except two. A handsome older man held the attention and was obviously Hatter. He had wild red hair that was beginning to turn silver at his temples. The other was a boy entering manhood or a man leaving boyhood. Alice couldn't tell. He had long blond hair tied neatly back in a ponytail with a black ribbon. He laughed at something Hatter had said. The others looked gravely at him (which was really a funny sight, these queer people looking grave). Alice sat on the ground just outside of earshot. She enjoyed watching these people talk about matters that she didn't know and people she had never seen. She enjoyed observing and not being observed. She enjoyed the solemnity of it all and her not having to take part in it, not having to pretend to care, not having to wear the stiff dresses, not having to fight with hair not staying in place.

Alice stood for a while, not noticed by anyone. Five minutes (or perhaps five hours, time is a very odd thing in Wonderland) though, when the young man looked up from his tea cup and said, "You, Girl, who are you, and why are you watching us? Are you a spy?" The tone wasn't mean, but rather genuinely inquisitive. He tried to look ferocious and foreboding like his questioning should have seemed, but only succeeded in looking handsomely foolish.

"Oh, I am dreadfully sorry. Am I interrupting something? My name is Alice. I seemed to have fallen...well...up. I've no where else to be. May I join?" She had enjoyed observing, but now contact had been made. Her interest in their secrecy had been piqued.

After consulting with the older gentleman, the younger hollered back, "You do not seem to be working with the Queen, but we cannot risk letting her know what is transpiring. You may have food and drink, but you must answer all of our questions as well."

Alice quickly took her seat (so neatly next to the young man who finally introduced Hatter and himself, Dormouse). They watched her drink the tea intently, as though no one had witnessed such an oddity as a girl drinking tea. They asked her questions quickly, like bullets flying from guns. She tried to answer as quickly as the questions came. They seemed to like what they heard, and that made Alice feel like she had done something right in this wrong world. They asked about her family, her likes and dislikes, and her opinions about the queen (who SHE thought was Queen Victoria, but was apparently someone else called the Queen of Hearts or Spades, or some other suit from a deck of cards). After fifteen minutes of these questions (or was it fifteen hours?), Hatter said that the meeting was adjourned, that they were going to meet as this group two days from now. He had asked that Alice and Dormouse stay after.


	3. The King

Alice faced her King with the facts. No longer did she love him, for he never loved her. She could not produce the heir he did so desire because she could not love him. She could not care. Her care was for Wonderland, for its safety. Cheshire was not for the denizens, he was selfish and cruel. He did not care one iota. It was too much for her, she could not uphold the position of gracious Queen and loving wife alongside of being the only one helping her people. It was too impossible.

Cheshire accused her of being unfaithful. He said that he could be cruel and unjust towards her, for ever since she met Dormouse, she had been unfaithful to him, like she had always been his. He made her cry. He told her that he was sending his men after Dormouse to kill him. It was unbearable, but she kept her bearing. At least, she prayed, he had gotten a good two week head start. Of course, with Cheshire, he could have sent his men out last night without telling her. Shivers ran down her spine, but she kept her face, never letting emotion seep into her. She would not let Cheshire get that pleasure.

--

Her passiveness shook Cheshire, but two could play the game she was. He told her that he would indeed have her, and she would indeed bear him an heir. She would no longer help in a man's job. She would obey. There was no escaping him. And when Dormouse appeared, she would testify against him, saying that he forced her to share a bed. She would watch the execution and clap happily after about how happy she was a ruffian like him is dead. He had already gotten Hatter and Bunny. His cloak was actually made of Bunny. She clapped at his death; she clapped at all the deaths. She would clap at her lover's death. He would make sure she looks greatful.


End file.
